Come and get to the heart of the matter at the Bristol Heart Festival

Press release issued: 3 March 2025

Did you know a human heart will beat around 100,000 times and continuously pumps about 8 pints of blood around the body each day, but how can you keep a heart healthy. Members of the public will have the opportunity to find out at the Bristol Heart Festival. The free, hands-on event, will take place on Thursday 13 March at the Wills Memorial Building, Queens Road, Bristol.

The festival, organised by the Bristol Heart Institute at the University of Bristol, will raise awareness about cardiovascular health, share groundbreaking advances in heart research and offers something for everyone.

With a programme of hands-on activities, expert talks, and interactive workshops, people attending the event can find out about heart health and how to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Festival events include:

• Understanding diet and heart health: learn how what we eat impacts our heart.
• CPR training: get a life-saving skill under your belt.
• Human simulator and ECGs: explore cutting-edge technology used in heart care.
• Heart dissections: a unique chance to see how the heart functions up close.
• The stent simulator: try your hand at being a heart surgeon.
• Exercise and heart health: discover how movement keeps your heart in peak condition.
• Children of the 90s: learn from one of the longest-running health studies in the world.

People attending the festival can also discover how gentle movement can boost heart health with introductory sessions in yoga and tai chi.

There will also be talks and panel discussions (approximately 45 minutes per talk). Booking is essential via Eventbrite as places are limited.

• 4 pm — Are you counting your steps? How sport improves heart health
Cardiologists and scientists will discuss how sport and exercise improve heart health. Learn how daily walks to extreme sports affect heart rhythm and function in children to high-performance athletes.

• 5 pm — From pregnancy to the broken heart: women’s heart health
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women. A panel of experts will consider how life’s major events — like pregnancy and menopause — affect women’s heart health and what can be done to manage these risks.

• 6 pm — Have your say! How patients and the public drive heart research
People with lived experience of heart disease are essential in shaping medical research. Facilitated by a BBC interviewer, patients and relatives will share their experience of living with a heart condition and engaging with research.

Gianni Angelini, BHF Professor of Cardiac Surgery at the Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences (THS), and Director of the Bristol Heart Institute, said: “The Bristol Heart Festival is an opportunity for members of the public to find out about cutting-edge research, discover useful tips for a healthier life, and take part in discussions about the future of heart health.

“Whether visitors are looking to develop their knowledge, try out hands-on activities, or meet people passionate about cardiovascular wellness, the festival has something for everyone.”

The Bristol Heart Festival will take place on Thursday 13 March 2025 at the Wills Memorial Building, Queens Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1RJ from 3.45 to 7 pm.

The festival is free but booking is essential via Eventbrite.

Further information

Special satellite event

To conclude the Bristol Heart Festival, researchers at the University of Bristol will be hosting a special screening of the documentary SIX TIMES OPEN on Friday 14 March 2025 at 6 pm at the Watershed, 1 Canon's Rd, Bristol BS1 5TX.

This is a unique documentary about congenital heart surgery, seen through the eyes of a patient and his family. The screening is free, but booking is essential via Eventbrite.

British Heart Foundation: How your heart works

About the Bristol Heart Institute
The Bristol Heart Institute is a Specialist Research Institute at the University of Bristol. We are a world-leading centre for translational cardiovascular research and the leading academic cardiac surgery centre in the UK.

We specialise in preventing, predicting, detecting, reducing and treating cardiovascular disease, bringing together scientists and clinicians from across the University and the NHS in Bristol, and training the next generation of cardiovascular scientists and clinical academics.

We harness the expertise of Bristol's translational science community and benefit from close proximity to outstanding medical facilities, such as the Bristol Heart Institute Clinical Facility at University Hospitals Bristol & Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW).

In this way, we make the journey from bench to bedside, from scientist to patient, in our fight against heart disease, still the UK’s number one killer.